Improvement in sleigh-knees



R. G. BRITTON.

SLEIGH-KNEES.

Patented Aug.1,1876.

"NITEn TATES RODNEY G. BRITTON, OF SPRINGFIELD, VERMONT.

IMPROVEMENT lN SLElGH-KNEES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 180,535, dated August1, 1876; application filed d June 28, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RODNEY G. BRITTON, of Springfield, in the county ofWindsor and State of Vermont, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Sleighs, and that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, making part ofthis specification.

This invention is in the nature of an improvement in sleighs, sleds, &c.and the invention consistsin a sleigh or sled constructed with postssawed and bent at their ends in different planes, forming, respectively,braces and supports for the runners and for the crossbeams,substantially as is hereinafter more particularly described.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings, Figure l is a side view of myinvention; and Fig 2, a rear end view of same, partly in section.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in both figures. v

As is well known, the weakest points in a sled or sleigh are at thejunction of the posts with the runners and cross-beams, and tostrengthen these weak points it is customary to use iron braces, whichadd not only to the cost of the sleigh, but add to its weight, and, insome instances, offer resistance to the free passage of the sleighthrough the snow. To obviate these difficulties 1 construct my sleighwith the posts A with the lower end thereof, that is secured to therunner B, in the form of a double brace, a a. This is formed by sawingthe end of the post upward any desirable length, steaming it, andspreading the ends open, as shown in Fig. 1. The upper end of the postA, or that end which is secured to the cross-beam C, is spread in likemanner, forming braces 12 b, or, rather, forming one brace, b, which isbent outward from the post A, as shown in Fig. 2. This is accomplishedby a saw-kerf made in the end of the post, but in a plane at rightangles to the sawkerf that is made in the lower end of the post,steaming the post, and bending out the brace 11, as shown in Fig. 2.Suitable rivets c c are passed through the post A to stay the upper endof the saW-kerf from splitting the post. The ends of the braces on a, aswell as the brace b and the upper end of the post A, are then fitted inany desirable manner in suitable mortises or other holes formed in theupper edge of the runner B and the under side of the cross-beam 0,thereby securing the posts to the sled or sleigh. formed from the postitself not only afford greater stability than would otherwise be thecase, but, since the post has two points of contact in the runner andtwo points of contact in the cross-beam, greater stiffness or firmnessis afforded to the sleigh or sled to which such posts are attached.

It is obvious that, instead of spreading and bending the braces b and a,they may be sawed out of the ends of the posts; but this latter would bea more expensive method of producing the braces, though substantiallythe same in effect.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new,and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

In asleigh orsled, posts from which are bent braces in dili'erentplanes, substantially as and for the purposes described.

RODNEY Gr. BRITTON.

The braces thus-

